<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">
<head profile="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
<title>Vacation Rental Homes Family Reunions — The Vacation Gals</title>
<meta name="description" content="Vacation rental homes make family reunions and family travel budget friendly, and keep everyone in the same vicinity with a little space." />
<meta name="keywords" content="vacation rental homes, family reunions, family travel" />
<meta name="robots" content="noodp,noydir" />
<link rel="Shortcut Icon" href="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/themes/child/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/themes/child/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<script type='text/javascript'>
            var gravityInsightsParams = new Object();
            gravityInsightsParams.type = 'content';
            gravityInsightsParams.site_guid = '66cd88ff43948ed3dfbbb9e168b2d19f';
            gravityInsightsParams.article_id = 18696;
            gravityInsightsParams.external_user_id = 0;
            gravityInsightsParams.username = 'Unregistered';

            document.write(unescape('%3Cscript src=\'http://angrybadger.insights.gravity.com/js/badger.cc.js\' type=\'text/javascript\'%3E%3C/script%3E'));
</script><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="The Vacation Gals &raquo; Feed" href="http://thevacationgals.com/feed/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="The Vacation Gals &raquo; Comments Feed" href="http://thevacationgals.com/comments/feed/" />
				
	<script type="text/javascript">//<![CDATA[
	// Google Analytics for WordPress by Yoast v4.0.11 | http://yoast.com/wordpress/google-analytics/
	var _gaq = _gaq || [];
	_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-10902281-1']);
	_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
	(function() {
		var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
		ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
		var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
	})();
	//]]></script>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="The Vacation Gals &raquo; Vacation Rental Homes Are a Family Reunion Necessity Comments Feed" href="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/feed/" />
<script type='text/javascript' src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-includes/js/l10n.js?ver=20101110'></script>
<script type='text/javascript' src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-includes/js/comment-reply.js?ver=20090102'></script>
<script type='text/javascript' src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js?ver=1.4.4'></script>
<link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://thevacationgals.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd" />

<!-- Start Of Additions Generated By Greg's Threaded Comment Numbering Plugin 1.4.5 -->
<link rel='stylesheet' id='gtcn-plugin-css'  href='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/plugins/gregs-threaded-comment-numbering/gtcn-css.css?ver=1.4.5' type='text/css' media='all' />
<!-- End Of Additions Generated By Greg's Threaded Comment Numbering Plugin 1.4.5 -->
<meta name="tweetmeme-title" content="Vacation Rental Homes Are a Family Reunion Necessity" /><link rel="canonical" href="http://VacationRentalHomesFamilyReunions" />
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="waIbJbHq8g15kzd29oh9bYGP1-OlAeuxaouVfnyfz0Y" /><!-- BEGIN SITE ANALYTICS //-->
<script type="text/javascript">
if (typeof siteanalytics == 'undefined') { siteanalytics = {}; };
siteanalytics.gn_tracking_defaults = {google: '',comscore: {},quantcast:''};
siteanalytics.website_id = 5388;
siteanalytics.cdn_hostname = 'cdn.siteanalytics.evolvemediametrics.com';
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src='http://cdn.siteanalytics.evolvemediametrics.com/js/siteanalytics.js'></script>
<!-- END SITE ANALYTICS //--><style type="text/css">.broken_link, a.broken_link {
	text-decoration: line-through;
}</style></head>
<body class="single single-post postid-18696 single-format-standard header-full-width header-image content-sidebar">

<div id="wrap">
<div id="text-8" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><!-- BANNER #1 -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://thirdparty.fmpub.net/placement/400639?fleur_de_sel=[timestamp]"></script>
<br>
<!-- BANNER #1 -->
</div>
		</div></div>
<div id="header"><div class="wrap"><div id="title-area"><p id="title"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/" title="The Vacation Gals">The Vacation Gals</a></p><p id="description">Expert advice on family trips, girlfriend getaways &amp; romantic escapes, plus travel tips, gear and giveaways.</p></div><!-- end #title-area --></div><!-- end .wrap --></div><!--end #header-->
<div id="nav"><div class="wrap"><ul class="nav superfish"><li class="home"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/" title="Home">Home</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-8162"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/about-us/" title="About Us">About Us</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-7228"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/travel-experts/" title="Interview Us">Interview Us</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-8189"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/hire-us/" title="Hire Us">Hire Us</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-8197"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/write-for-us/" title="Write for Us">Write for Us</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-12025"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/advertise-with-us/" title="Advertise with Us">Advertise with Us</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-21010"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/awards/" title="Awards">Awards</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-8179"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/disclosure/" title="Disclosure Policy">Disclosure Policy</a></li><li class="page_item page-item-8208"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/contact-us/" title="Contact Us">Contact Us</a></li><li class="right date">April 15, 2011</li></ul></div></div><div id="inner">	<div id="content-sidebar-wrap">
				<div id="content" class="hfeed">
				<div class="post-18696 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-budget-travel category-family-travel category-travel-tips tag-vacation-rental">
                    
		
	
			<div class="navigation">
			<div class="alignleft">&laquo; <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/thanksgiving-parade-floats-and-balloon-pictures/" rel="prev">Thanksgiving Parade Floats and Balloon Pictures</a></div>
			<div class="alignright"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/how-to-help-ear-pressure-while-flying-earpopper/" rel="next">How to Help Ear Pressure while Flying: EarPopper</a> &raquo;</div>
		</div>


     

		<h1 class="entry-title">Vacation Rental Homes Are a Family Reunion Necessity</h1>
		
	
	<div class="post-info">

        <p>November 29, 2010 | Author: <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/author/sanfranciscogal/" title="Posts by SanFranciscoGal">SanFranciscoGal</a></p>

    </div>

     


				<div class="entry-content">
			<div class="twitter_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;"><iframe src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthevacationgals.com%2Fvacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity%2F&amp;count=vertical&amp;related=thevacationgals:&amp;via=thevacationgals&amp;lang=en" height="62" width="55" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>
<p><em><strong>Editors&#8217; Note:</strong> We are huge proponents of vacation rental homes, especially as they pertain to group and <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/family-activities-in-winnipeg-manitoba/"  target="_blank">family travel</a>. The Vacation Gals receive many submissions for guest posts, and we cannot accept them all (or even half of them). However, when one comes across our desk that is so infectious and enthusiastic about some form of travel, it&#8217;s an &#8220;easy yes.&#8221; SanFranciscoGal&#8217;s enthusiasm for vacation rental homes and her own<a href="http://thevacationgals.com/grandparent-travel-or-why-trips-with-your-mother-in-law-can-be-cool/"  target="_blank"> family vacations</a> made it easy to say yes to her contribution.<br />
</em></p>
<p><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Gemmel-Family-Reunion-at-a-Vacation-Rental-Home1.jpg" ><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-18712" title="Gemmel Family Reunion at a Vacation Rental Home (Sarah Gemmel)" src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Gemmel-Family-Reunion-at-a-Vacation-Rental-Home1-300x225.jpg" alt="Gemmel Family Reunion at a Vacation Rental Home (Sarah Gemmel)" width="300" height="225" /></a>Some people absolutely dread family reunions – the unnatural amount of face time with relatives, the “what’s your life plan?” conversations, the wild ruckus that ensues when the younger cousins drink a little too much orange soda. So, I think I’m in the minority when I say, I actually love family reunions!</p>
<p>I’ve decided that this must have to do with the fact that 1) I actually enjoy most of my relatives, and 2) we’ve nailed down a pretty good system that revolves around renting two vacation homes for the reunion.</p>
<p>See, these reunions with my dad’s side of the family necessitate room for 21 people (my dad has four siblings, each with one or two kids, plus grandparents). And since they all live in <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/top-things-to-do-in-seattle-washington/"  target="_blank">Seattle</a>, we often hold the reunions in <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/top-family-activity-in-south-lake-tahoe-borges-sleigh-rides/"  target="_blank">Lake Tahoe, California</a> and Bend, Oregon.</p>
<p>The great thing about both of these locations: they’re chock full of vacation rentals. And you know what? We’ve never <em>not</em> rented out vacation rentals for our family reunions. We have three important reasons for this.</p>
<p><strong>Reason #1:</strong> Obviously, we need the space. And renting vacation homes is the only way to get space, plus convenience. Can you imagine renting seven to ten hotel rooms, scattered throughout the hotel with no central meeting space? Add in the task of trying to remember who’s in which room&#8230; No thank you!</p>
<p><a href="../wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Gemmel-Family-Does-a-Gilligans-Island-Theme-Family-Reunion-Vacation-Sarah-Gemmel.jpg"><img class="alignright" title="The Gemmel Family Does a Gilligan's Island Theme Family Reunion Vacation (Sarah Gemmel)" src="../wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Gemmel-Family-Does-a-Gilligans-Island-Theme-Family-Reunion-Vacation-Sarah-Gemmel-300x225.jpg" alt="The Gemmel Family Does a Gilligan's Island Theme Family Reunion  Vacation (Sarah Gemmel)" width="300" height="225" /></a>Instead, we usually rent two homes: one to serve as the “party house,” in which we’ll all gather for big dinners and our “party night” (more on this later), and one to serve as the mellow house, where the grandparents and young kids &#8212; who need to get to bed early &#8212; stay. We also try to make sure the two homes are only a five minute drive away (or less).</p>
<p><strong>Reason #2:</strong> The entertainment aspect. In both Bend and <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/gal-on-the-go-perfect-afternoon-on-lake-tahoes-south-shore/"  target="_blank">Lake Tahoe</a>, most of the bigger vacation homes come with a hot tub and an entertainment room that usually includes a pool table, big screen TV, board games, DVD player, foosball table and sometimes if we’re lucky &#8212; a bar area (the adults’ favorite).</p>
<p>Having all these entertainment options keeps the kids entertained, while allowing the adults time to mingle, unwind, nap – without hiring (or assigning) a babysitter.</p>
<p><strong>Reason #3:</strong> Party Night. Usually on the last, or second-to-last night of our reunion, we have a party with an outrageous theme that necessitates costumes, wigs and creative cocktails. Past themes have included Saturday Night Fever and Gilligan’s Island (<em>see photo above</em>). We make sure to hold the party in the house with the biggest kitchen and most complete entertainment room.</p>
<p>Party night gives us something to look forward to during the week. Whereas at some family reunions, the energy level might decline as the week goes by – for us, it increases! I mean, how can you not laugh seeing see your loved ones dressed in neon orange jumpsuits and Albert Einstein wigs?</p>
<p>Do you have any tips for family reunions? Better yet – do you have any party themes for my next family reunion?</p>
<p><em>SanFranciscoGal Sarah Gemmel is a California native who absolutely loves to travel. She spends her days helping people find unique vacation rentals with local flavor at <a href="http://inhabitvacations.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','inhabitvacations.com/']);" target="_blank">Inhabit Vacations</a>, and blogging about vacation rentals and her crazy family on the <a href="http://blog.inhabitvacations.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','blog.inhabitvacations.com/']);" target="_blank">Inhabit blog</a>.</em>
<p><a id="magellan"></a><br />
<div class="linkwithin_hook" id="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/"></div><script>
<!-- //LinkWithinCodeStart
var linkwithin_site_id = 248679;
var linkwithin_div_class = "linkwithin_hook";
//LinkWithinCodeEnd -->
</script>
<script src="http://www.linkwithin.com/widget.js"></script>
<a href="http://www.linkwithin.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.linkwithin.com/']);"><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" style="border: 0" /></a>		</div><!-- end .entry-content -->
		
	


	<div class="post-info2">
        <p>Posted in: <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/budget-travel/" title="View all posts in Budget Travel" rel="category tag">Budget Travel</a>, <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/family-travel/" title="View all posts in Family Travel" rel="category tag">Family Travel</a>, <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/travel-tips/" title="View all posts in Travel Tips" rel="category tag">Travel Tips</a> | <a href="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity//#comments">3 comments</a></p>
    </div>

     

 

	</div><!-- end .postclass -->




    <div id="comments">



       <h3>3 Responses to &#8220;Vacation Rental Homes Are a Family Reunion Necessity&#8221;</h3>



        <ol class="comment-list">

            	   <li class="comment even thread-even depth-1" id="li-comment-33304">
		 <div class="commentnumber">1</div>		 <div id="comment-33304">
		  <div class="comment-author vcard">
			 <img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/c1b7472eaf92cbf714a26b411ced9204?s=48&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fthevacationgals.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gif&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' />	
			 <cite class="fn"><a href="http://www.sixfiveskyguy.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-commentauthor','http://www.sixfiveskyguy.com']);"  rel='external nofollow' class='url'>Dave</a></cite> <span class="says">says:</span>		  </div>
		  	
		  <div class="comment-meta commentmetadata"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/comment-page-1/#comment-33304">November 30, 2010 at </a></div>
		  <p>Great post, Sarah. We rented a beautiful log home in Estes Park last summer for my sister-in-law&#8217;s wedding, right on the front door of Rocky Mountain National Park &#8211; gorgeous! It was our first experience with renting a place like this as a young family, and having the grands, brothers-in-law and new side of the family &#8211; the grooms&#8217; fam from NYC &#8211; was simply amazing! You see vacation homes in the movies all the time and Hollywood tends over glamorize the concept&#8230;but it never seems &#8220;real&#8221;. However, with a bit of research, great deals can be found&#8230;which lead to even greater memories! Welcome to the VacationGals &#8211; looking forward to more of your posts!</p>
	
		  <div class="reply">
			 <a class='comment-reply-link' href='/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/?replytocom=33304#respond' onclick='return addComment.moveForm("comment-33304", "33304", "respond", "18696")'>Reply</a>		  </div>
		 </div>
	</li>
	   <li class="comment odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1" id="li-comment-33355">
		 <div class="commentnumber">2</div>		 <div id="comment-33355">
		  <div class="comment-author vcard">
			 <img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e50fc903f9303359de5056273c5f722c?s=48&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fthevacationgals.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gif&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' />	
			 <cite class="fn">Sarah</cite> <span class="says">says:</span>		  </div>
		  	
		  <div class="comment-meta commentmetadata"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/comment-page-1/#comment-33355">December 1, 2010 at </a></div>
		  <p>Hi Dave,<br />
Thanks for the comments! Your vacation rental experience in Estes Park sounds amazing! Nothing like a vacation home to get everyone together in one place. It&#8217;s true, you can often find great deals and low prices for rentals, especially if you&#8217;re traveling in a big group. Once you go &#8220;vacation rental&#8221; you don&#8217;t go back! <img src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
	
		  <div class="reply">
			 <a class='comment-reply-link' href='/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/?replytocom=33355#respond' onclick='return addComment.moveForm("comment-33355", "33355", "respond", "18696")'>Reply</a>		  </div>
		 </div>
	</li>
	   <li class="comment even thread-even depth-1" id="li-comment-36436">
		 <div class="commentnumber">3</div>		 <div id="comment-36436">
		  <div class="comment-author vcard">
			 <img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/dfd4b6e9e1a16717d9bac02518704426?s=48&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fthevacationgals.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gif&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' />	
			 <cite class="fn"><a href="http://www.rudulphrealestate.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-commentauthor','http://www.rudulphrealestate.com']);"  rel='external nofollow' class='url'>rudulph real</a></cite> <span class="says">says:</span>		  </div>
		  	
		  <div class="comment-meta commentmetadata"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/comment-page-1/#comment-36436">February 16, 2011 at </a></div>
		  <p>Nowadays everyone wants to make money and provide housing for rent; vacation rentl homes are best way to do so</p>
	
		  <div class="reply">
			 <a class='comment-reply-link' href='/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/?replytocom=36436#respond' onclick='return addComment.moveForm("comment-36436", "36436", "respond", "18696")'>Reply</a>		  </div>
		 </div>
	</li>

        </ol>

        <div class="navigation">

            <div class="alignleft"></div>

            <div class="alignright"></div>

        </div>

    </div><!--end #comments-->



     


									<div id="respond">
				<h3 id="reply-title">Leave a Reply <small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/vacation-rental-homes-are-a-family-reunion-necessity/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel reply</a></small></h3>
									<form action="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform">
																			<p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span class="required">*</span></p>							<p class="comment-form-author"><label for="author">Name</label> <span class="required">*</span><input id="author" name="author" type="text" value="" size="30" aria-required='true' /></p>
<p class="comment-form-email"><label for="email">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span><input id="email" name="email" type="text" value="" size="30" aria-required='true' /></p>
<p class="comment-form-url"><label for="url">Website</label><input id="url" name="url" type="text" value="" size="30" /></p>
												<p class="comment-form-comment"><label for="comment">Comment</label><textarea id="comment" name="comment" cols="45" rows="8" aria-required="true"></textarea></p>						<p class="form-allowed-tags">You may use these <abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr> tags and attributes:  <code>&lt;a href=&quot;&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;abbr title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;acronym title=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;blockquote cite=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;cite&gt; &lt;code&gt; &lt;del datetime=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;em&gt; &lt;i&gt; &lt;q cite=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;strike&gt; &lt;strong&gt; </code></p>						<p class="form-submit">
							<input name="submit" type="submit" id="submit" value="Submit Comment" />
							<input type='hidden' name='comment_post_ID' value='18696' id='comment_post_ID' />
<input type='hidden' name='comment_parent' id='comment_parent' value='0' />
						</p>
						<p style="display: none;"><input type="hidden" id="akismet_comment_nonce" name="akismet_comment_nonce" value="959758d856" /></p>					</form>
							</div><!-- #respond -->
			<script type="text/javascript">
    jQuery(document).ready(function() {
        jQuery('#commentform').submit(function() {
            _gaq.push(
                ['_setAccount','UA-10902281-1'],
                ['_trackEvent','comment']
            );
        });
    });    
</script>
			
		</div><!-- end #content -->
		<div id="sidebar" class="widget-area">
<div id="search-2" class="widget widget_search"><div class="widget-wrap">
		<form method="get" class="searchform" action="http://thevacationgals.com/" >
			<input type="text" value="Search this website &hellip;" name="s" class="s" onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search this website &hellip;') {this.value = '';}" onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search this website &hellip;';}" />
			<input type="submit" class="searchsubmit" value="Search" />
		</form>
	</div></div>
<div id="text-18" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><!-- BEGIN GN Ad Tag for The Vacation Gals 300x600,300x250 ros -->
<center>
<br>
<script type="text/javascript">
  if(typeof(gnm_ord)=='undefined') gnm_ord=Math.random()*10000000000000000; if(typeof(gnm_tile) == 'undefined') gnm_tile=1;
  document.write('<scr'+'ipt src="http://n4403ad.doubleclick.net/adj/gn.thevacationgals.com/ros;sect=ros;sz=300x600,300x250;tile='+(gnm_tile++)+';ord='+gnm_ord+'?" type="text/javascript"></scr'+'ipt>');
</script>
</center>
<!-- END AD TAG --></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="text-11" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><br><center><a href="http://www.twitter.com/thevacationgals/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.twitter.com/thevacationgals/']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/followus.jpg" /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/thevacationgals/" target="_blank">&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/facebook.gif" /></a></center></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="text-12" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><br><center><a href="http://thespagals.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','thespagals.com/']);" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/spa.gals_.150x150.jpg" height="139" width="139" /></a>

<a href="http://bestfamilytraveladvice.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','bestfamilytraveladvice.com/']);" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/BFTA-LOGO-large.jpg" /></a>
<br />


</div>
		</div></div>
<div id="categories-153501811" class="widget widget_categories"><div class="widget-wrap"><h4 class="widgettitle">Categories</h4>
		<ul>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-92"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/budget-travel/" title="View all posts filed under Budget Travel">Budget Travel</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-49"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/cruises/" title="View all posts filed under Cruises">Cruises</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-11"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/destinations/" title="View all posts filed under Destinations">Destinations</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-4"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/family-travel/" title="View all posts filed under Family Travel">Family Travel</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-5"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/girlfriend-getaways/" title="View all posts filed under Girlfriend Getaways">Girlfriend Getaways</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-795"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/hotels-2/" title="View all posts filed under Hotels">Hotels</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-107"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/interviews/" title="View all posts filed under Interviews">Interviews</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-34"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/romantic-getaways/" title="View all posts filed under Romantic Getaways">Romantic Getaways</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-6"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/travel-gear/" title="View all posts filed under Travel Gear">Travel Gear</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-40"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/travel-news/" title="View all posts filed under Travel News">Travel News</a>
</li>
	<li class="cat-item cat-item-7"><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/category/travel-tips/" title="View all posts filed under Travel Tips">Travel Tips</a>
</li>
		</ul>
</div></div>
<div id="text-22" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><!-- Start of Brightcove Player 4-27-2011 -->

<center><br><div style="display:none">

</div>

<!--
By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C 
found at https://accounts.brightcove.com/en/terms-and-conditions/. 
-->

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/APIModules_all.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://geocasttv.com/volume.js"></script>



<object id="myExperience753198357001" class="BrightcoveExperience">
  <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
  <param name="width" value="300" />
  <param name="height" value="260" />
  <param name="playerID" value="713898333001" />
  <param name="playerKey" value="AQ~~,AAAApguvRRk~,KFfE_nDxuGX6tOczoDvoSXFQYoZRhWMs" />
  <param name="isVid" value="true" />
  <param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true" />
    
  <param name="@videoPlayer" value="753198357001" />
</object>

<!-- 
This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soon
as the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only after
the rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.
-->
<script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script>
</center>
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="text-16" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><br><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0">
	<tr>
		<td align="center" valign="top">
<!-- START LAS VEGAS 9-27-11 -->
<div align="center">
  <div style="display:block; width:120px;height: 32px;">
<a href="http://www.lasvegashotels.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.lasvegashotels.org']);" target="_blank" style="line-height:0" title="Las Vegas Hotel Rooms"><img src="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/library/images/las-vegas-nevada.gif" alt="Las Vegas hotel deals" width="120" height="32" border="0" style="display:block;"/></a>
  </div>
</div>
    <div align="center">
  <div style="display:block; width:120px;height: 32px;"><a href="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/allhotels.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.lasvegashotels.org/allhotels.html']);" target="_blank" style="line-height:0"><img src="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/library/images/las-vegas-137x42.gif" alt="Vegas hotel list" width="137" height="42" border="0" style="display:block;"/></a>
  </div>
</div>
<br>
<div align="center">
  <div style="display:block; width:120px;height: 32px;"><a href="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/hotel-promotions-all.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.lasvegashotels.org/hotel-promotions-all.html']);" target="_blank" style="line-height:0"><img src="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/library/images/las-vegas-vacations.gif" alt="Las Vegas hotel promos" width="120" height="32" border="0" style="display:block;"/></a>
  </div>
</div>
<br>
<div align="center">
  <div style="display:block; width:120px;height: 32px;"><a href="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/hotels.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.lasvegashotels.org/hotels.html']);" target="_blank" style="line-height:0"><img src="http://www.lasvegashotels.org/library/images/las-vegas-hotel-deals.png" alt="vegas hotel reservations" width="120" height="32" border="0" style="display:block;"/></a>
  </div>
</div>
<!-- END LAS VEGAS -->
<br>
<br>

		<td align="center" valign="top">
<a href="http://www.suitetrip.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.suitetrip.com']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/promoteusbutton.png" /></a>
<br>
<br>
<!-- start tourism currents-->
<a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=108158&c=ib&aff=122689" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=108158&c=ib&aff=122689']);" target="ejejcsingle"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tourism-currents-125x125-3.jpg" /></a>
<!-- end tourism currents-->
</td>
</td>
	</tr>
</table></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="text-5" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><br><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0">
	<tr>
		<td align="center" valign="top">
<a href="http://thevacationgals.com/were-an-award-winning-travel-blog/"  target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Award-BUG-2010-GOLD.jpg" /></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://thevacationgals.com/unaccompanied-minors-keep-children-safe-on-planes/"  target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/natja.gif" /></a>
<br>
<br>
<!-- start TRIPBASE-->
<div style="width:100px !important; background:#fff !important; font-family:Arial, sans-serif !important; color:#000 !important; border:1px solid #000 !important; padding:5px !important; font-size:10px !important; text-align:center !important"><a href="http://www.tripbase.com/d/awards/2011/categories/winners/womens-travel.htm" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.tripbase.com/d/awards/2011/categories/winners/womens-travel.htm']);" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img src='http://www.tripbase.com/d/awards/2011/images/badges/medium/42.jpg' alt='Tripbase Awards Badge' /><br /><a style='color:0000ff !important;' href='http://www.tripbase.com'  target='_blank'>www.Tripbase.com</a></div>
<!-- end TRIPBASE-->
<br>
<div style="text-align:center;margin:0;padding:0">
    <div style="padding:0;margin:0"><img src="http://images.travelpod.com/bin/blog/medallion.gif" alt="Travel Blog Sites - Top 100" width="120" height="145" border="0" /></div>
    <div style="text-align:center;font-size:9px;line-height:normal;width:120px;padding:0;margin:0 auto;font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;">As chosen by TravelPod, the web&rsquo;s original <a href="http://www.travelpod.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.travelpod.com']);">travel blog</a></div>
</div> 
<br>
<a href="http://www.gekko.com/?utm_source=vacationgals&utm_medium=blog_badge&utm_campaign=travel_blogs" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.gekko.com/?utm_source=vacationgals&utm_medium=blog_badge&utm_campaign=travel_blogs']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://webe.emv3.com/gekko/images/badges/badge_blue.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br>
<br>


</td>
		<td align="center" valign="top">
<a href="http://2011.bloggies.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','2011.bloggies.com/']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bloggie.11.jpg" /></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://2010.bloggies.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','2010.bloggies.com/']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/bloggiesbadge.jpg" /></a>
<br>
<br>

<!-- start TBEX-->
<a href="http://tbex11.eventbrite.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','tbex11.eventbrite.com/']);" target="_blank"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tbex11orgcomm.jpg" /></a>
<!-- end TBEX-->
<br>
<br>
<div style='font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:9px;text-align:center;width:125px'><a href="http://www.raveable.com/blogger/b84" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.raveable.com/blogger/b84']);" style="margin:0;padding:0"><img alt="Featured Global Travel Blog on Raveable" src="http://assets1.raveable.com/badges/blog/global_expert.png" style="border:none;height:95px;width:125px;" /></a><div style='margin:0;padding:0;line-height:7px;'><a href="http://www.raveable.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.raveable.com/']);">Rating by Raveable</a></div></div>
<br>
<a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/travel/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.blogtopsites.com/travel/']);" title="Travel Blogs" target="_blank"><img style="border:none" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_84824.gif" alt="Travel Blogs" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tag/travel" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','www.blogtopsites.com/tag/travel']);" style="font-size:10px;">Travel</span></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://losangelesonlinetravel.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','losangelesonlinetravel.com']);"><img src="http://www.travelswithtwo.com/wp-content/uploads/LACOT.jpg" width="160" height=”160”></a>

</td>
	</tr>
</table></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="tag_cloud-3" class="widget widget_tag_cloud"><div class="widget-wrap"><h4 class="widgettitle">Tags</h4>
<div class="tagcloud"><a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/adventure-travel/' class='tag-link-117' title='9 topics' style='font-size: 8pt;'>adventure travel</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/airlines/' class='tag-link-72' title='20 topics' style='font-size: 13.3975903614pt;'>airlines</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/airports/' class='tag-link-53' title='11 topics' style='font-size: 9.34939759036pt;'>airports</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/alaska/' class='tag-link-440' title='18 topics' style='font-size: 12.7228915663pt;'>Alaska</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/arizona/' class='tag-link-14' title='23 topics' style='font-size: 14.4096385542pt;'>Arizona</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/aspen/' class='tag-link-131' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>Aspen</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/best/' class='tag-link-84' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>best</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/book-review/' class='tag-link-227' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>book review</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/california/' class='tag-link-24' title='66 topics' style='font-size: 22pt;'>California</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/colorado/' class='tag-link-22' title='61 topics' style='font-size: 21.3253012048pt;'>Colorado</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/cruise/' class='tag-link-154' title='9 topics' style='font-size: 8pt;'>cruise</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/denver/' class='tag-link-238' title='14 topics' style='font-size: 11.0361445783pt;'>Denver</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/disney/' class='tag-link-29' title='21 topics' style='font-size: 13.734939759pt;'>Disney</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/eco-friendly/' class='tag-link-377' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>eco-friendly</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/florida/' class='tag-link-28' title='23 topics' style='font-size: 14.4096385542pt;'>Florida</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/gal-on-the-go/' class='tag-link-324' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>gal on the go</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/giveaway/' class='tag-link-66' title='17 topics' style='font-size: 12.3855421687pt;'>giveaway</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/halloween/' class='tag-link-194' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>Halloween</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/hawaii/' class='tag-link-48' title='45 topics' style='font-size: 19.1325301205pt;'>Hawaii</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/hotels/' class='tag-link-62' title='13 topics' style='font-size: 10.5301204819pt;'>hotels</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/las-vegas/' class='tag-link-146' title='13 topics' style='font-size: 10.5301204819pt;'>Las Vegas</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/los-angeles/' class='tag-link-23' title='27 topics' style='font-size: 15.5903614458pt;'>Los Angeles</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/luggage/' class='tag-link-266' title='11 topics' style='font-size: 9.34939759036pt;'>luggage</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/luxury-hotels/' class='tag-link-75' title='19 topics' style='font-size: 13.0602409639pt;'>luxury hotels</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/marriott/' class='tag-link-106' title='14 topics' style='font-size: 11.0361445783pt;'>Marriott</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/mexico/' class='tag-link-141' title='24 topics' style='font-size: 14.7469879518pt;'>Mexico</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/minnesota/' class='tag-link-254' title='18 topics' style='font-size: 12.7228915663pt;'>Minnesota</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/museums/' class='tag-link-124' title='14 topics' style='font-size: 11.0361445783pt;'>museums</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/nevada/' class='tag-link-147' title='9 topics' style='font-size: 8pt;'>Nevada</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/new-york/' class='tag-link-9' title='15 topics' style='font-size: 11.3734939759pt;'>New York</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/nyc/' class='tag-link-112' title='21 topics' style='font-size: 13.734939759pt;'>NYC</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/orlando/' class='tag-link-27' title='13 topics' style='font-size: 10.5301204819pt;'>Orlando</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/outdoors/' class='tag-link-224' title='12 topics' style='font-size: 9.85542168675pt;'>outdoors</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/restaurants/' class='tag-link-148' title='12 topics' style='font-size: 9.85542168675pt;'>restaurants</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/road-trips/' class='tag-link-36' title='18 topics' style='font-size: 12.7228915663pt;'>road trips</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/summer/' class='tag-link-121' title='9 topics' style='font-size: 8pt;'>summer</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/tips/' class='tag-link-157' title='15 topics' style='font-size: 11.3734939759pt;'>tips</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/travel/' class='tag-link-293' title='16 topics' style='font-size: 11.8795180723pt;'>travel</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/travel-activities/' class='tag-link-37' title='9 topics' style='font-size: 8pt;'>travel activities</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/travel-writer/' class='tag-link-87' title='18 topics' style='font-size: 12.7228915663pt;'>travel writer</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/us-national-parks/' class='tag-link-100' title='11 topics' style='font-size: 9.34939759036pt;'>US National Parks</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/utah/' class='tag-link-191' title='14 topics' style='font-size: 11.0361445783pt;'>Utah</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/video/' class='tag-link-510' title='12 topics' style='font-size: 9.85542168675pt;'>video</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/volunteer/' class='tag-link-502' title='10 topics' style='font-size: 8.67469879518pt;'>volunteer</a>
<a href='http://thevacationgals.com/tag/winter/' class='tag-link-133' title='11 topics' style='font-size: 9.34939759036pt;'>winter</a></div>
</div></div>
<div id="text-6" class="widget widget_text"><div class="widget-wrap">			<div class="textwidget"><center><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVacationGals" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','feeds.feedburner.com/TheVacationGals']);" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVacationGals" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','feeds.feedburner.com/TheVacationGals']);" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p>
<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheVacationGals&amp;loc=en_US" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-widget','feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheVacationGals&amp;loc=en_US']);">Subscribe via Email</a></center></div>
		</div></div>
<div id="execphp-5" class="widget widget_execphp"><div class="widget-wrap">			
			<div class="execphpwidget"></div>
		</div></div>
</div>	</div><!-- end #content-sidebar-wrap -->
	</div><!-- end #inner -->
<div id="footer"><div class="wrap">

    	<p><a href="http://thevacationgals.com/feed/"><img src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/themes/genesis/../child/images/rssbtn.jpg" alt="" /></a>Header by Jolene Melnicoff, Big Stone Production; small avatars by Paige Pooler. Copyright &copy; 2009 The Vacation Gals. All Rights Reserved.</p>

</div><!-- end .wrap --></div><!-- end #footer -->
</div><!-- end #wrap -->
<script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.gravity.com/assets/js/magellan.js'></script><script type='text/javascript' src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/js/menu/superfish.js?ver=1.4.8'></script>
<script type='text/javascript' src='http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/js/menu/superfish.args.js?ver=1.5'></script>
<script src="http://thevacationgals.com/wp-content/plugins/tweetmeme/button.js" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="http://www.nkuttler.de/wordpress-plugin/a-better-tag-cloud-widget/">Better Tag Cloud</a><br /><!--stats_footer_test--><script src="http://stats.wordpress.com/e-201115.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
st_go({blog:'9458305',v:'ext',post:'18696'});
var load_cmc = function(){linktracker_init(9458305,18696,2);};
if ( typeof addLoadEvent != 'undefined' ) addLoadEvent(load_cmc);
else load_cmc();
</script>
</body>
</html>
<!-- Performance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: http://www.w3-edge.com/wordpress-plugins/

Minified using disk
Page Caching using disk (enhanced)
Database Caching 5/16 queries in 0.045 seconds using disk

Served from: thevacationgals.com @ 2011-04-15 12:11:48 -->